Johannesburg zoo invites you to attend the unveiling of one of the guns used during the Great War (1914 -1919).

June 2008

The Johannesburg zoo will be unveiling one of the guns which were used during the Great War. On that note, the zoo invites you to come and witness this event. This gun which symbolises the supreme sacrifice made by members of the South African Heavy Artillery during the Great War 1914 -1919 will be officially rededicated by  The General of the Gunners of South Africa Major General R C Andersen  SD SM MMM JCD on the 22 June 2008 at 10:00 am.

This is one of six howitzers presented to the Union Government by the government of Great Britain after the First World War and was allocated to Johannesburg by the Union Government. (Note: The SA Gunners Association is now tracing the other 5.)

The Town Council discussed the placement of the gun with the SA Heavy Artillery Brigade, and it is probable that Sir Percy Fitzpatrick was involved. His eldest son Nugent served in France with a SA Heavy Artillery unit and achieved rapid promotion to Major.

The selection of the site for the gun was probably Fitzpatrick’s proposal. His company (Rand Mines) had donated the land for the Anglo Boer War Peace Memorial at the east end of the diagonal vista, the high point of the area around the Hermann Eckstein Park. His youngest brother, George Fitzpatrick, is listed in the Roll of Honour for the Imperial Light Horse Regiment.

The Howitzer is placed at the west end of the vista so that the memorials of the two wars speak to each other. The steps of the kiosk were altered “to permit the howitzer being trained along the road that leads to the Anglo Boer War Memorial.”

The Artillery Brigade bore the costs of creating the plinth while the Town Council paid for the bronze plaque which records the names of all the men of the SA Heavy Artillery Brigade who died in 1914-1918 war.  Ironically Major Nugent Fitzpatrick’s is not one of them.

During the Second World War (according to the records of the Johannesburg Zoo – hearsay from the Gunner’s Association on removing the gun for restoration 2007) the gun was taken to Potchefstroom for training a new generation of gunners and returned in 1945. 

In March this year the howitzer was removed for restoration by AJ Brooks, Past National Chairman of the Gunner’s Association, to his workshop Techire in Wadeville.

The relationship between the memorials appears largely aesthetic and perhaps incongruous in the Zoo which is a place of conservation.

Draft of the activities

  • National flag would be erected. The military troop will hold a parade at the zoo.

  • Flag to be broken before parade

  • 2Lts Potgieter and Groenewald are act as escorts for Gen Andersen.

  • Programme to be prepared. Gnr Hole to resolve. Items as follows:

O        Welcome and admin                    Gnr Louw

o        Troops on parade                         THA

o        Dignitaries arrive                          Gnr Louw

o        Gen salute                                    THA

o        Official Welcome                          Chair, GA JHB, Gnr Hoole

o        Prayer and Scripture reading       Gnr Chalmers

o        Speech and unveiling                   Gen Andersen

o        Dignitaries leave                           Gnr Louw

o        Troops off parade                         THA

o        Tea                                                All

Please contact General Frank Louw at flouw@global.co.za, alternatively GNR Andrew Sampson at andrew.sampson@vodamail.co.za










 

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